The name Peñafiel instantly conjures up images of wine. Bottles, barrels and wineries flood the traveller’s mind, but Peñafiel is more than just than the source of Ribera del Duero wine. Visiting Peñafiel is like travelling back to the past without a time machine. It means savouring tastes from past, present and future; it means a hands-on experience of culture, art and traditions forged over centuries. It is, all in all, a sideways glance to the past as you firmly charge on towards the future.

The chúndara procession and the capeas (amateur bullfights) in August, the processions and the Descent of the Angel at Easter, and the wine festivities in autumn and spring are some of the dates that are circled on the calendars of our most loyal visitors. However, Peñafiel’s tourist appeal is not limited to those few days. Any time is a good time to visit Peñafiel and stroll around the Plaza del Coso, a square that dates back to Medieval times and still accommodates bullfighting events in the 21st century. You don’t need to come on a weekend to walk along the town’s narrow streets and breathe in the delicious scent of wood burning as it warms the denizens during the winter months. You don’t need to come in the summer to tuck in to suckling lamb roast in a wood oven and to sip the best Ribera del Duero wines. Furthermore, you don’t need to plan a long, costly journey to get to Peñafiel, since it’s just 50 kilometres (30 miles) from Valladolid and an hour and a half from Madrid.

Peñafiel attracts a variety of tourists. We welcome a great many young and middle age couples looking for peace and quiet and culture. Others come lured by sipping magnificent Ribera del Duero wines in the land where they are produced and matured. Other young tourists spend a few days with us partaking in paintball matches and spending the night in a campsite. In other words, tourism in Peñafiel has grown exponentially, and the cultural, wine-related, culinary and leisure-based offers position this town as one of the emerging tourist destinations with the greatest potential in the autonomous region of Castilla y León.

An open-air museum

The town of Peñafiel itself is a genuine open-air museum. Nevertheless, visitors can learn about the art and culture in any of the four museums that complete Peñafiel’s tourist offer. The celebrated Museo Provincial del Vino (Provincial Wine Museum), accommodated in Peñafiel Castle, is the most visited museum in the province and one of the major tourist attractions in the area, but it’s not the only one: the museum offer also includes the Museo de Arte Sacro (Sacred Art Museum), the Aula de Arqueología (Archaeology Centre), the La Ribera House-Museum and the Cosovisión Centre.Either for a weekend getaway or for a longer stay, Peñafiel stands as an attractive destination for those who want to leave the stress of the city behind and get lost in a place where time seems to travel at a calmer, more harmonious rhythm. Culture, tradition and gastronomy merge in this beautiful land to offer visitors an unforgettable journey that involves all the senses, taste, touch, smell, sight and hearing. Peñafiel appeals to the five senses.The Peñafiel Town Council currently also governs the following aggregate locations:

Aldeayuso

Formerly known as Molpeceres de Yuso, just 5 kilometres (3 miles) from Peñafiel along the road to Cuéllar.

Mélida

Adobe houses dotting a hillside crowned by the Church of San Cristóbal.

Padilla de Duero

Site of the former Vaccaei city of Pintia, defended by a moat and a wall from the 6th century BC.